The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-11-11
TALMAGE's SERMON.
4 Pointed Discourse in Defense %
Young Men,
The Value Of Good Homo and the Bull
wark of Power FOand In . Noble
Ideal-Religious Principle tho
Test Of Character.

u
Idcal-Religious Principle tho
Test Of Character.
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage took for the
theme Of a recent discourse at the Brook.
lyn Tabernacle "Defense OF Young
Men," his text being
And the Lord opened the eyes Of the young
man.-H Kings. vi, Il.
He said: One morning in Dothan .
young theological stud emit was scared by
finding himself and Elisha, the prophet,
upon whom he waited, surrounded by a
whole army OF euemies. But venerable
Elisha was not scared at all, because he
saw the mountains full of defense for him,
in chariots made out of fire. wheels Of
fire, dashboard OF fire, and cushion of fire,
drawn by horses with nostrils Of fire, and
name of fire, and launches of fire, and
hoofs Of fre-a supernatural appearance
that could not be seen with the natural
eye. So the old minister prayed that the
young minister might see them also, and
the prayer was answered, and the Lord
opened the eyes of the Young man, and he
also saw the fiery procession, looking
somewhat, suppose, like the Adirondacks
or the Aiieghanies in their autumnal re-
spiendence.
Many young men. standing among the
most tremendous realities. have their
eyes half shut or entirely closed. May
God grant that my sermon may open wide
your eyes to your safety. your opportunity
and your destiny.
A mighty defense for a young man il a
good home. Some of my hearers look back
with tender satisfaction to their early
home. 1t NAV have been rude and rustic,
hidden among the hills, and architect or
upholsterer never planned or adorned it.
But all the fresco on princely walls never
looked SO enticing to you as those rough
hewn rafters. You can think of no park
or arbor of trees planted on fashionable
country seat so attractive rs the plain
brook that run in front of the old farm
house and sang under the weeping will
lows. 70 barred gateway adorned with
statue of bronze, aud swung open by OBJ
sequious porter in full dress, has half the
glory of the swing gate.
MANY OF YOU have a second dwelling
place, your adopted home, that also is sa-
cred forever. There you built the first
family altar. There your children were
born. All those trees you planted. That
room is solemn. because once in 1t, over
the hot pillow, tapped the wings of death.
Under that roof You expect when your
work is done to lie down and die. You
try with many words to tell the excellency
of the place, but You fail. There is only
one word in the language that can de-
scribe your meaning. 1t is home.
Now, l declare it, that young man is
comparatively safe who goes out into the
world with a charm like this upon him.
The memory of parental soiicitude, plan
ming and praying, will he to him a shield
and a shelter. Inever knew a man faith.
full both to his early and adopted home,
who at the same time was given over to
any gross form of dissipation or wicked
ness. He who seeks his enjoyment chiefly
from outside association, rather than from
the more quiet and nnpresuming
pleasures Of which I have spoken,
may be suspected to be on
the broad road to ruin. Alb
solom despised his fathers house, and
you know his history of sin and his death
Of shame. IL you seem unnecessarily iso-
lated from your kindred and former asso-
ciates, is there not some room that you can
call your own? Into it gather books pa.
pers, and pictures, and harp. Have q
portrait over the mantel. Make ungodly
mirth stand back from the threshold.
Consecrate some spot with the knee of
payer. By the memory of other days, a
fathers counsel, and a mothers love, and
Q sisters confidence, call it home.
Another defense for young man is in.
d ustrious habit. Many young mon, in
starting upon life in this age, expect to
make their way through the world by the
use of their wits rather than the toll of
their hands. A child now goes to the city
and fails twice before he is as old as his
father was when he first saw the spires Of
the great town. Sitting in some office,
!. rented at $1,000 year, he is waiting for
the bank to declare its dividend,
or goes into the market expect
ing before night to be made rich
BY the rushing up Of the stocks.
But luck seemed so dull he resolved on
come other tack. Perhaps he borr owed
from his employers mOney-drawer and
forgets to put it back. or, for merely the
purpose OF improving his penmanship
makes a copy-plats Of a merchants sig.
nature. Never mind, all is right in trade.
In some dark night there may come in his
dreams vision OF Blacxwelps Island, OF
of Sing Sing, but it soon vanishes. In a
short time he will be ready to retire from
the busy world, and with his 1Ocks and
| herds cultivate the domestic virtues.
Then those young men who once were his
schoolmates and know no better than to
engage in honest work. will come with
their OK teams to draw him logs, and with
their hard hands help heave up his castle.
This is no fancy picture. 1t is every
day life. l should not wonder il there
were some rotten beams in that beautiful
ness should smite through the young man,
Or if God should pour into his cup Of life
draught that would thrill him
, with unbearable agony. I should
not wonder if his children should become
to him living curse, making his home a
pest and disgrace. I should not wonder
if he goes to miserable grave, and be-
yond it into the gnashing of teeth. The
way of the ungodly shall perish.
My young friends, there is no way &c
genuine success except through toll, either
of the head or hand. At the battle of
| Crecy, in 1916, the Prince of Wales, find.
| ing himself heavily pressed by the enemy,
/ sent word to his father for help. The
/ father, watching the battle from q wind
| mill, and. seeing that his son was not
wounded and could gain the day il he
would. sent word: "No, / will not come.
| Let the boy win his spurs, for, if God will,
/ desire that the day be his, with all it.
honors." Young man, fight your own
battle all through, and you shall have the
victory. Oh, it is battle worth fighting
Two monarchs of old fought q duel
Charles V. and Francis, and the stakes
were Kingdoms, Milan and Burgundy
You fight with sin, and the stake is
Heaven or hell.
Do not get tie fatal idea that you are q
genius, and that therefore there is nc
! nneI of close annlicstiOn. 1t Is here